Giants vs. Washington final score: New York falls, 22-7, in season finale

The New York Giants fell, 22-7, to the Washington Football Team in their regular season finale at MetLife Stadium on Sunday afternoon. Washington improved to 7-10 on the season, while New York ended the 2021 season with a 4-13 mark. This is just the second 13-loss season in Giants history and the sixth-straight game in which the Giants lost by 10 or more points.

The Giants are now 10-23 under Joe Judge, 19-46 under Dave Gettleman, 22-59 since their last winning season (2016) and 61-100 since their last Super Bowl championship.

The Football Team got the scoring started early when quarterback Taylor Heinicke led the team 76 yards down the field in a nearly six-minute long drive to set up a 23-yard field goal by Joey Slye that gave Washington a 3-0 lead at 9:07 in the first quarter.

The Giants went for it on fourth down twice on their opening drive of the game. On the first fourth-and-1, a neutral zone infraction penalty by Washington allowed the Giants to convert. But the Giants were stopped on fourth-and-1 on the Washington 32-yard line and turned the ball over on downs.

The Giants had just one possession in the opening quarter.

The Giants’ lack of faith in the offense was on full display at the end of the first half. On second-and-11 from the two-yard line, the Giants had Jake Fromm run a QB sneak up the middle. On third-and-9 on the following play from the four-yard line, the Giants called for the sneak again, failed to convert and promptly punted the ball.

Slye converted a 43-yard field goal with three seconds left to play in the first half and Washington took a 6-0 lead into the locker room.

Both teams were quiet offensively for most of the third quarter until Fromm’s pass intended for Evan Engram was intercepted by Bobby McCain at the Giants 30-yard line and returned for a touchdown at 3:48 in the third. The Football Team’s two-point conversion failed but Washington extended their lead to 12-0.

The Giants got on the board at 11:29 when Fromm connected with Darius Slayton over the middle for a 22-yard touchdown to make it 12-7. It was Fromm’s first touchdown of his NFL career. The score was also the first touchdown by a Giants receiver since Oct. 24, 2021, Week 7 of the season.

An 18-yard touchdown run by Antonio Gibson at 6:34 in the fourth quarter extended Washington’s lead to 19-7. A fumble recovery by Washington on the Giants’ following drive gave the Football Team back the ball on the Giants 12-yard line and set up a 23-yard field goal by Slye to make it 22-7. Washington maintained that lead for the remainder of the game.

Halftime stats

The Giants trailed, 6-0, at the half. In Jake Fromm’s second NFL start, he was four of seven for 16 yards.

The Giants had two first downs and the Football Team had eight. New York recorded 48 yards in the half while Washington recorded 177 yards.

Washington controlled the time of possession battle as they held the ball for 17:30 while the Giants had possession for 12:30.

The Giants finished the season outscored 79-0 in the final two minutes of first halves.

Below are the Giants’ first-half possessions:

Injury news

Will Hernandez left the game in the first quarter with an injury. Hernandez had played 1,048 consecutive snaps before leaving the game.

Giants inactives

WR Kadarius Toney
QB Mike Glennon
WR John Ross

Stats

Fromm was 15 of 31 for 103 yards, with one touchdown and two interceptions. He was the leading rusher for the Giants in the game with 53 yards on five attempts.

Barkley, who recorded over 100 yards for the first time this season last week, finished the game with just 11 carries for 30 yards.

Slayton finished with two receptions for 29 yards and one touchdown.

Leonard Willams recorded five tackles, one sack, one quarterback hit and one tackle for loss.